Chapter 17
Elara's POV
The night had been restless, my mind a storm of words I couldn't silence. Bridge. Bound. Choice. They tangled in my thoughts until dawn came in thin silver slants through the curtains.
I forced myself up, washed, and slipped into the dress that had been left for me. A deep green this time, soft and heavy, brushing the floor with every step. Somehow, the richness of it weighed on me instead of making me lighter.
I needed answers.
The library's doors groaned open, and I slipped inside like I had been born to belong there. Hours passed without me realizing. My hands trembled over scrolls, manuscripts older than anything I had ever seen, their ink faded but their truth sharp.
That's when I found it—tucked between volumes of history and prophecy. A leather-bound book, its spine cracked, its cover etched with silver symbols I couldn't decipher. Inside, I found a story.
The story of the last Bridge.
It told of a girl, centuries ago, brought into this realm as I had been. Not by accident. Never by accident. She was chosen—her life twined with the lord of this world, her presence meant to bring balance between shadows and the living.
Her bond with Hades's realm was not random. It was fate.
I sat frozen, the words blurring as my mind raced. Then why me? Why now?
I closed the book slowly, my hands unsteady. If this was true, I wasn't here by mistake. I wasn't just unlucky. I had been... called. And I didn't know if that terrified me more than the thought of being trapped here forever.
My thoughts clung to me like vines as I drifted through the halls. Before I realized it, my feet carried me beyond the polished corridors, out into the cool air of the gardens.
The air smelled different here—wilder, sharper. The hedges grew taller, darker, until they gave way to a grove that stretched toward a forest. I paused, something instinctive in me whispering that I shouldn't be here.
And then I heard it.
A low, rumbling growl.
I froze, my heart thudding in my ears. From the shadows, it emerged—massive, its body muscled and towering, black fur glistening as if dipped in oil. It was shaped like a dog, but far larger, taller than any horse, and its breath poured steam into the chilled air.
My first instinct was to run. Every muscle in my body screamed for me to.
But... something stopped me. A tug. A pull. The same strange thread I had felt since arriving.
The beast lowered its massive head, nostrils flaring as it sniffed at me. My hand trembled as it lifted of its own accord, hovering near its mouth. Am I insane? I thought wildly. This thing could snap me in two and I'm just—
My fingertips brushed its muzzle.
Warmth spread instantly through my hand, curling up my arm. Not fire—something gentler. Alive. The beast rumbled, leaning into my touch, and I let out a shaky laugh of disbelief.
It was... letting me.
Soon my hand was buried in its thick fur, and it nuzzled against me like a creature tamed, like a dog wanting affection. I stroked its massive head, my fear slipping into something that felt dangerously close to awe.
I didn't notice I wasn't alone until a voice cut through the quiet.
"Well, this is a surprise," a deep voice drawled.
I turned sharply, my heart leaping as I saw him—Hades, standing a few paces away, his dark form cutting sharply against the pale stones. His eyes were fixed not on me, but on the beast at my side.
A rare flicker of shock crossed his usually unreadable face.
"I see you've acquainted yourself with Cerberus."
The beast's tail swished once, heavy as a tree branch, and leaned closer into my hand—as though it agreed.